


Camp Cabin Fever

by marilynthedork



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Fever, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic, Swearing, less sick and more fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-21 03:53:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11349315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marilynthedork/pseuds/marilynthedork
Summary: Also known as: "What happens when you recruit the camp’s resident troublemaker to guard your compromised co counselor."When David develops a fever and is unable to perform his duty as counselor, Gwen must ask a camper to keep an eye on him. However, the only person Gwen can trust is… Max? Rated T because Camp Camp. Swearing ahead.





	Camp Cabin Fever

**Author's Note:**

> I love David? And soft h/c fics? And Max being a very small grump? This show has ruined me. 
> 
> This takes place somewhere between Season 1 and 2.

          From the moment she woke up, Gwen knew today’s camp activities would be hell. Not that most days at Camp Campbell weren’t torturous. After all, nothing ever seemed to go according to plan at this job. However, she had a feeling that today would, somehow, be worse than an average day of shenanagins. Some would call that anxiety or irrational thinking, but she called it intuition.

          The first piece of evidence to today’s shittiness? David wasn’t already in the counselor’s lounge having breakfast when she arrived. This was alarming; David was the definition of an early riser. She tried to shrug it off, fixing herself a cup of coffee and a slice of toast to start the day. As she poured in the creamer, the door opened to reveal a disheveled David, cheeks coral and skin clammy.

          “ _Good_ morning, Gwen!” David drawled, swaying gently where he stood in the doorway, “Are you excited for water safety camp today? Because I know I am!”

          Gwen stared, before hanging her head and groaning softly. She was right, today was going to be long.

          “Aw, don’t look so disappointed!” David pouted, “Everyone loves swimming! Even Max, and you know he hates just about everything!”

          “That’s not the problem,” she explained, pointing to him accusingly, “The problem is _you_ , David. Are you feeling okay? You look kinda pale.”

          “Well, I am a ginger,” David reminded her, “And of course I feel okay! I feel great, Gwen! Because today is going to be another beautiful day of camping at Camp Campbell!” He yawned, as if being his cheerful, energetic self was tiring. He sat down heavily in a chair, before resting his head on the table, “I’m just a little tired, but I’m sure once I have some coffee I’ll be good as new!”

          Gwen blinked, taken aback by the statement. “But you don’t _drink_ coffee. You never _need_ coffee. Because you’re a god damn _morning_ person!”

          “Gwen, please, not so loud,” David closed his eyes tightly, “It’s too early to be yelling.”

          She frowned in concern. This was a jarring shift in demeanor for David. She placed the back of her hand against his cheek carefully.

          “That’s cold,” he mumbled, weakly swatting it away.

          “That’s probably because you feel like you’re on fire,” Gwen scolded. She stood back up, and sighed heavily, “You can’t lead the camp with a fever like that. I’ll get the Quartermaster to-“

          “ _Nooooooo_ ,” David whined, looking up at her with glassy eyes. “I’m fine, Gwen! It’s just a little fever, honest! One hundred and one isn’t even that high!”

          “A hundred and _one?!_ Jesus, David, _”_ Gwen yelped, “You’re a wreck. Go back to bed.”

          “But Gwen-” David started to protest.

          “I’m serious, David!” she said firmly, “You’ll hurt yourself or the campers if you try to swim like this. You gotta take it easy today, okay?”

          David sighed, getting up wobbly and walking to the door, “Okay, okay, I’ll go back to bed.”

          “Thank you,” she told him with a soft smile, “I’ll see you later, okay?”

          “Okay,” David nodded, heading out the door and back to his cabin.

~0~

          By the time all the campers were woken up, fed breakfast, and equipped with life jackets out on the lake shore, they were already theorizing amongst themselves what had happened to their annoyingly cheerful camp leader. Theories ranged from alien abduction to another trip to town to-

          “Maybe he died?” Nikki asked.

          “No, Gwen would be much happier if that were it,” Neil shook his head, before turning to the camp’s resident troublemaker, “Max, did you-”

          “Don’t look at me! I didn’t do shit this time!” he said defensively, crossing his arms.

          “Campers, please,” Gwen started, but was quickly drowned out by the kids’ accusations.

          “Maybe Nerris casted another invisibility spell on him,” Harrison joked.

          “I did not!” she cried, “That spell is only for emergencies!”

          Gwen sighed, “Guys, if you would-“

          “Nurf, did you have something to do with this?” Dolf asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

          “Oh sure, blame me. Is it because I’m the obvious suspect. That’s pretty shallow of you,” Nurf sulked.

 **“Hey! _Listen!”_** Gwen shouted above them, grabbing their attention. She continued sweetly, “Thank you. Now, the reason why David can’t be with us is because he’s sick. However, the Quatermaster has kindly stepped up in his place, right QM?”

          “Yup,” he grunted, “And here comes David.”

          Sure enough, David was headed towards the lake, fumbling with the hooks on his life jacket.

          “For Christ’s sake,” Gwen muttered, “David, what the hell are you doing?”

          “Oh, good morning, Gwen!” David said cheerfully, looking up for a moment from his life vest, “And good morning, Campbell Campers! Who’s ready to learn how to have fun in the water? Safely! Have fun safely!”

          Everyone watched David stumble onto the lakeshore. Then they turned back to Gwen. No one was quite sure what to say. After a moment of silent staring, Nikki finally piped up with a blunt, “Uh, Gwen? I think David’s dying.”

          Gwen shook her head, before asking, “David? Whatcha doing out here, buddy?”

          “Don’t worry Nikki, ol’ David’s not dying!” he laughed, “I’m just a little tired, but I’ll be okay! And I’m getting ready to help teach water safety camp! Right Gwen?”

          “No-“ Gwen tried to scold, but she was cut off by the camper’s concerns.

          “But you don’t look so good,” Space Kid said sadly, “Are you okay?”

          “I think you mean ‘like shit,’” Max supplied with a smirk.

          “Language, Max,” David warned, before looking back down at his life jacket.

          “Look, David, I know you’re excited to help, but you can’t today,” Gwen explained, walking over to gently grab him by the shoulders.

          “Why?” David asked, crestfallen.

          “Because, uhh,” Gwen stalled, turning around to see all the campers watching them eagerly, “Look, we’re going back to the cabins to discuss this, okay? QM, explain to them why- erm, why learning to swim is important!”

          She started to guide David back up the path. She turned back briefly in a moment of, what she considered, pure genius, and called, “Max, get your ass up here!”

          There were many displeased voices from the group. Most were disappointed groans, but one voice was louder and angrier than the rest. “ _What?_ Why!”

          “Just- Max, come on!” she growled. Max shrugged, and followed them up the path.

~0~

          They made their way back to the outside of the David’s cabin slowly. In his state, the hike up the trail was tiring. Gwen managed to wrestle the life jacket off him on their way, and explained to him again, “David, you can’t lead the campers in your state, okay? You’ll hurt yourself, or one of them, and we can’t afford a lawsuit. And I know you don’t want to hurt anyone, right?”

          “Oh no! No no no!” he shook his head emphatically, “We’re here to have fun! Not get hurt!”

          “Yes,” Gwen nodded, patting his shoulder gently, “And no one would have fun if they knew you were working when you were this sick. So, _you_ need to go inside and rest, okay?”

          “Okay,” David conceded, “But Gwen? Why did you bring Max? He’s not a counselor.”

          “No, but he is a babysitter,” Gwen patted his head. “Now, go lay down. I’ll see you later, big guy.”

          “Okie dokie!” David said brightly, before opening the door to his cabin, “Bye-bye!”

          Once David disappeared inside, Max piped up with a venomous,” I’m _not_ a fucking babysitter.”

          “You are today, little guy,” Gwen smirked, before revealing her master plan, “Look, I need somebody to watch David to make sure he doesn’t accidentally kill himself, and you’re the only person I can trust.”

          _“What?”_ Max asked, “That’s bullshit! Why can’t you get QM to watch him?”

          “Because, unless we want the cops down here arresting us for child endangerment, we have to have two legal adults on the lake while kids are swimming,” Gwen explained.

          “Well, you definitely can’t trust me to watch him!” Max protested, “You know I can’t stand the bastard!”

          “No, but you’ve been here the longest. You know how to keep him in check,” Gwen retorted, before pulling out her trump card with a smirk of satisfaction, “Besides, if I come back and David’s hurt, _you_ won’t get desert for a week.”

          Max blinked. “Damn,” he said, mildly impressed, “That’s cold, Gwen. Real cold.”

          “Uh huh, just… Go. Make sure he actually gets some rest. If he gets worse we’ll have to take him to the doctor, and I don’t think that’s in our budget.” Gwen sighed, running a hand through her hair nervously.

          “Okay, okay, I’ll do… that-” Max waved her off dismissively, entering the cabin himself.

          Gwen exhaled in relief, before looking up at the sky peeking through the branches of the pine trees overhead, “Dear God, please don’t let me kill anyone today.”

~0~

          “Okay, go lay your ass down,” Max instructed, closing the cabin door behind him and looking around the room. It was simple; with log walls and smooth wooden floor. Next to the door was a TV with two ancient recliners in front of it. Behind that, the bed sat against the window. It was small and plain, but high off the ground. There was a desk against the opposite wall, and a door that Max assumed lead to the bathroom. David was sitting on the bed, unlacing his boots.

          “Max?” David asked, looking up at his guest, “What are you doing in here?”

          “Gwen said you need to sleep,” Max crossed his arms, “And I’m supposed to make sure you do that, I guess. I dunno.”

          “Oh, okay,” David beamed, kicking off his boots and laying back on his pillow. He laid there like that for a few seconds, before saying absentmindedly, “Wait, I’m not tired…”

          “Oh, uh,” Max scratched his chin in thought, before finally supplying, “Maybe try watching TV?”

          “Max, that’s a great idea,” David smiled sleepily, “May I have the remote, please?”

          “Eh? Sure,” Max shrugged. This would work out fine; David was still technically resting. And so long as he wasn’t trying to fling himself out the door, Max didn’t really care. He grabbed the remote from the desk and tossed it at David gently. Then, he opened up the top desk drawer and looked inside.

          “Max, what’re you doing?” David asked, flipping on Bob Ross and settling down on his pillow.

          “Going through your stuff, idiot,” Max explained, “I bet you have all sorts of dirty stuff in here you keep hidden from us.”

          “Not really,” David hummed, eyelids already heavy with sleep, “I did my laundry this weekend.”

          Max rolled his eyes, continuing to rummage to find anything incriminating. To his dismay, David only seemed to have camp photos, counselor handbooks, and various scrapbooking supplies in this drawer. He opened the other and found pens, some scotch tape, and a few pads of sticky notes. Finally, in David’s backpack under the desk, he found something of interest.

          Max held up a rather old, world-weary teddy bear in a white lab coat for David to see. The fur was matted and patchy, and the coat was stained and faded. The bear looked ancient. “What the hell is this?”

          David sat up to look, then gasped, face lighting up at the discovery. “That’s Dr. Fuzzy!” he exclaimed, motioning for the toy with his hands. Max tossed it to him, clearly unimpressed.

          David hummed contently, hugging the bear to his chest, “Ah, my parents got him for me after I had my tonsils removed.”

          “And you brought that old piece of trash with you to camp?” Max asked incredulously.

          “And to college!” David beamed, “He’s the perfect travel size: big enough for hugs, but small enough to fit in my bags.”

          Max shook his head, rubbing at his temple with one hand “You have got to be shitting me.”

          David settled back down, obviously more at ease with the toy in his arms and not caring what the young camper thought. Max went back to searching, shaking boxes and flipping idly through books to find anything of interest. Eventually, he opened a box full of metal buttons. Each one was worn, with the smooth plastic wearing on some, and metal backs scratched up on others. Max read over each one aloud, “First day of camp? Enthusiastic camper? What is this shit?”

          “Oh! Those are my camp buttons!” David chirped, sitting up again to explain to Max, “I got those when I was a Campbell Camper! I also have a ton of merit badges I could show you, too! If you look in-”

          “No!” Max said loudly, “Please, god no! And you’re supposed to be sleeping! Lay back down or something!”

          “Max?” David winced, voice quiet and subdued, “Could you not yell? It makes my head feel weird.”

          Max paused, squinting at his counselor critically. He looked like a wreck, with deep bags under his eyes and staring at Max hazily. If Max didn’t know better, he would have said the other felt miserable.  Regardless, the pathetic sight made him feel… pity? Sorry? He wasn’t quite sure what the emotion was, but he knew he didn’t like it.

          “Okay, lay back down,” he said dismissively, “I’m gonna go get something, don’t move.”

          David nodded slowly, relaxing again. He watched the young camper go into the bathroom, and come out a few moments later with a washcloth. Max then climb the bed, and gingerly put the cold, wet rag over David’s eyes and forehead.

          “Here,” Max said in a bored tone, “How’s that?”

          “Mmm, it’s cold,” David mused, lifting up a corner to look at the other, “Also dark.”

          “That’s the point, idiot,” Max explained, lowering David’s hand again, “It’s so you’ll actually get better.”

          “Oh,” David breathed, resting his arms around his teddy bear and exhaling “Thank you, Max, that’s very nice of you.”

          Max shrugged, “Whatever. I just don’t want Gwen on my ass about you.” He then took the remote and changed the station to a cooking network.

          David try to listen for a minute, but he didn’t recognize the show. Eventually, curiosity got the better of him, and he had to ask, “Max, what are you watching?”

          “Kitchen Nightmares,” Max said plainly,” I like watching morons yell at Gordon… I’ll turn it down.”

          They sat like this for a while, with Max watching Gordon chew out the staff of this week’s episode for their filthy kitchen quietly and David laying still. The calm scene was broken when David whined, took the cloth off his face, and started wiggling around to find a more comfortable way to sleep.

          Max blew air out of his nose in annoyance, clearly agitated by the movement, “What the hell’s wrong now?”

          “I dunno,” David pouted, “Everything kinda… hurts.”

          Max sighed at length, climbing down the bed and heading to the door. “I’ll be right back. You better not go anywhere,” he warned.

          He exited the cabin, and went up to the mess hall to grab the first aid kit. He returned several minutes later with the kit, and with no David to be seen. “David, I told you not to leave, and now you’re pulling this shit? Where the hell-”

“I’ll be out in a second!” David called back, sounding… annoyed? A silence stretched up between them, broken up by the toilet flushing and water running from the sink.

          At last, David opened the door, clearly unamused. “Good grief, Max, I just went to the bathroom. I know Gwen wants you to make sure I don’t run off, but I think I can handle peeing by myself, thanks.”

          Max stood still, shocked by the outburst and not sure how to come back. He decided to just shake his head, “Yeah, okay, got it. You’re a big boy. Now, sit back down so I can give you this.”

          David scowled for a moment, but caved quickly. He sat on the edge of his bed and raised an eyebrow in question. “Give me what?

          “Tylenol,” Max deadpanned, clicking open the kit and taking out the bottle of pills. He shook it for emphasis, “For your fever?”

          “O-oh,” David stammered, embarrassed he hadn’t realized sooner, “Max, I appreciate the gesture, but I think I’m-”

          Before David could protest, Max had shoved a thermometer in David’s open mouth. “Yeah, we’ll see about that. And I swear to god, if you open your mouth and mess up the reading…”

          The other shook his head vigorously, holding up his hands defensively. After a minute, the thermometer beeped and Max swiped it before David could read it himself.

          “Jesus Christ, David,” Max exclaimed at the reading, “How are you not dead?”

He put the thermometer away and handing David the pill bottle. “Take two outta there, I’ll go get you a glass of water.”

          “O-okay,” David obeyed, unscrewing the lid and pouring two pills into his hand. Max trotted back from the bathroom with a cup of water, and handed it off with a scowl.

          “Is it really that bad?” David asked, taking the cup and downing the pills one at a time.

          “I mean, it was almost 103, so yeah,” Max shrugged, taking the glass and setting it on David’s nightstand, “It may take a while for them to kick in, but that should help with the aches.”

          David nodded, laying down and getting comfortable under his blanket. “Thank you, again,” David smiled weakly, “I really appreciate it.”

          “Just shut up and get some sleep,” Max glared, climbing back up onto the bed and turning the TV off for the counselor.

          David smiled, putting the rag on the back of his neck and closing his eyes heavily.

          Max took this moment to rummage through the cabin more. He quickly realized that David was too lame to have anything interesting that could be used against him. When he was positive the counselor wasn’t going to make a break for it, Max made his way out the door stealthily and sneaked over to Gwen’s cabin.

          Sadly, her room was only marginally more exciting. All her literature seemed to be about vampires, werewolves, or regular teenagers falling in love and going on adventures in drinking, drugs, and PG 13 sex. The kind of novels Max deemed trash and quickly threw to the side. He found more pens and paper in Gwen’s desk, as well as flat…things wrapped in crinkly, colorful plastic. Gross girl stuff, he decided, based on the flowers plastered on the packaging. He also uncovered a bottle half full of pills for treating cramps, nausea, and bloating, as well as nail polish and cheap makeup. She was boring, Max decided. And also had serious health issues if she needed pills for nausea.

          In the other drawer, Max struck gold. Along with some beauty magazines and the keys to the camp’s SUV, Max found a box of tea bags. He grinned, took one out, and read the side of the box for instructions. He took the bag, as well as a trashy magazine, and stole away to the mess hall.

          He arrived back at David’s cabin with a mug of tea, obviously pleased with his little mission. “Hey camp man, I got something for you.”

          “Mmm, Max?” David asked groggily, opening his eyes and squinting at the sunlight from the doorway.

          Max said nonchalantly, shoving the mug him, “Yeah, it’s me. But here, drink. This should help you sleep.”

          “I thought I was sleeping…” David blinked, sitting up and taking the mug. He took a sniff to try to figure out what Max had handed him. “Mint? Where’d you get this?”

          “Gwen’s shit, but it’s for a good cause so she won’t care,” Max brushed off his question, and climbed on the bed again.

David took a long sip, watching Max as he made his assent. After the other plopped down in his spot, he admitted, “I’m impressed. I can’t believe you’ve been going through all this work just for me.”

          “It’s not for you, it’s for _us_ ,” Max huffed, opening up his stolen magazine, “If Gwen comes back and you’re worse, she’ll kill both of us.”

          David nodded, “You have a point.”

          Max grunted, already engrossed in an article in the magazine. David decided not to push the matter, finishing off his mug of tea before settling down one last time. After several minutes, he drifted off into a warm, comfortable sleep.

~0~

          Gwen opened the cabin door softly, before shambling in and sitting down heavily in one of the armchairs.

          “Hi Gwen,” David said cheerfully, albeit in a hushed tone, “How were the kids today?”

          “A nightmare,” she groaned, turning around awkwardly to face him without actually getting up. “Nurf tried to launch Space Kid into orbit, and when he got stuck in a tree, Nikki climbed up to rescue him. But she got stuck up there too, so the Quartermaster had to go get the ladder. And Neil and Harrison were getting on each other’s nerves so bad that I had to keep them at opposite ends on the group. But, nobody drowned, so I count that as a victory.”

          David frowned, “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you today; I know it’s not any fun wrangling campers by yourself.”

          Gwen shrugged, “It’s okay, QM was a lot of help, even if he did kinda put everyone on edge. You look a lot better, though. How are you feeling?”

          “I feel great!” David beamed, “And I’m so glad, too. Don’t get me wrong, Max and I had fun, but I miss the other campers and the activities.”

          “Is that why the room is trashed?” Gwen asked, gesturing to the room at large, “And by the way, where is the shithead?”

          “Shh!” David shushed her, pointing to a small lump under his sheet, “He’s taking a nap.”

          Gwen lifted a corner of the sheet carefully. Sure enough, Max was curled up underneath, clutching the glossy pages of the beauty magazine to his chest.

          “That little-!” she growled, “He’s got my copy of _Sheeple!”_

          “I’m sure it’s fine, Gwen,” David assured her, getting up from the bed, “He was just reading it while I was napping. I… don’t know why the room’s messed up, though.”

          She shook her head, looking around to assess the damage, “It looks like a tornado went through him. Did he go through your stuff? Why’d you let him do that? Was he looking for something?”

          David scratched the back of his head, “I think he said something about dirty laundry, but I really don’t remember. I guess I was sicker than I thought…”

          “Yeah, you were,” Gwen said, playfully punching his arm, “You looked like you were gonna collapse on yourself.”

          “Well, the good news is, I’m better now, so I can help with dinner,” David grinned, heading to the door, “I can put everything back tonight, it’s honestly not that bad.”

          Gwen shook her head. She was honestly too tired to care. However, she did have to ask, “Hey, did Max… mess with you? Or was he actually helpful?”

          “Oh, he was a big help!” David nodded enthusiastically. “He got me aspirin and tea and a wet rag. And he kept me company. Though, that may be because he didn’t want to get on your bad side… Did you blackmail him?”

          Gwen looked away in shame, before confessing, “Only a little. I just told him that if he was a dick to you there’d be consequences.”

          “Oh,” David blinked, “That’s reasonable. Anyway! I’m gonna go see what the campers are up too! Bye-bye Gwen!”

          “Bye David,” She waved tiredly, turning back to David’s bed once the door was closed. She moved the sheet back, and carefully lifted the sleeping camper to carry him back to his tent. She chuckled, watching his face scrunch up in annoyance when she took the magazine from him.

          “You did well, squirt,” she told him quietly, adjusting him in her arms to open the door, “I think you’ve earned your nap. And even some extra dessert.”

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to my brother from another mother, somegrumpynerd (on tumblr) for his help on this fic. Not only was he my incredible beta and encouraged me to finish this, he also helped me brainstrom ideas for the fic. Without him, this fic wouldn't of played out exactly the same.


End file.
